TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. 1

BENDING TUBE WITHOUT A MANDREL ..................................................2
Stretching and Compression Principles ................................................................... 2
Function of Bend Die .................................................................................................. 2
Basic Primary Tooling ................................................................................................ 3
Control of Springback ................................................................................................ 3
Kinked or Buckled Bends ........................................................................................... 3

BENDING TUBE WITH A PLUG MANDREL .............................................. 4

Balanced Pressures .................................................................................................... 4
Unbalanced Pressures ............................................................................................... 5
Mandrel Too Far Back ................................................................................................. 6
Mandrel Too Far Forward ........................................................................................... 7
Bending With Ball Mandrel And Wiper Die ............................................................... 9
Bending Thin Wall Tubing .......................................................................................... 9

TROUBLESHOOTING .............................................................................. 15
Tube Breakage .......................................................................................................... 15
Tube Wrinkling .......................................................................................................... 15
Scratches/Marking on Tube Centerline ................................................................... 15
Tube Collapses Either With or Without Wrinkling Through Bend ........................ 15
Hump at the End of a Bend and Mandrel Ball Humps ........................................... 16
Tool Marks/Scratches ............................................................................................. 16
Excessive Springback .............................................................................................. 16
Final Tips ................................................................................................................. 16

GLOSSARY OF TERMS ........................................................................... 17

BENDING TUBE WITHOUT A MANDREL

Stretching and Compression Principles
When a tube is bent, two things happen to metal (Figure 1-a). The outside wall is reduced in thickness
due to the stretching of the material and the inside wall becomes thicker due to the compressing of the
material (Figure 1). The material actually is formed approximately about the centreline of the tube. The
material that forms the outside of the bend has further to travel and therefore is stretched; the inside of the
bend has less distance to travel and is compressed.

Function of Bend Die

When the ratio of the tube diameter to wall thickness is small enough, the tube can be bent on a relatively
small radius (Centreline Radius or CLR = 4 x Tube O.D.). Excessive flattening or wrinkling of the
bend should not occur. The outside and inside of the bend tend to pull towards the centreline of the tube
(flattening). Two factors that help prevent this from happening are a grooved bend die, which supports the
tube along the centreline and the natural strength of the tube; round or square (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Little or no support is needed within the tube when the tube diameter is small and the wall is thick.
As the size of the tube diameter is increased, the tube becomes weaker. If the wall thickness of the tube
is decreased, it also becomes weaker. The forces acting on the tube also becomes greater as the radius
of the bend becomes smaller.

Basic Primary Tooling

A bend die, clamp die, and pressure die are the minimum essentials for bending tube. (Figure 3). The
bend die helps to prevent the tube from flattening and forms a given radius of bend. The clamp die holds
the tube in position while bending. The pressure die forces the tube into the bend die.

Figure 3

Control of Springback
Springback is excessive when a mandrel is not used. This should be considered when selecting a bend
die. Springback is the term used to describe the tendency of metal that has been formed to return to its
original shape. Springback will cause the tube to unbend from two to ten degrees depending on the
radius of bend, and may increase the bend radius of the tube. The smaller the radiuses of bend the
smaller the springback.

Kinked or Buckled Bends

The tube may kink or buckle as shown in Figure 4. This may be due to hard material, which will not
compress on the inside radius of the bend. The material, not being able to compress, pushes in toward
the centreline of the tube. This condition can be corrected (provided the tube is not too hard) by proper
set up of the tooling. A plug mandrel (Figure 5) is indicated if the tube buckles and is still within the wall
factor and the diameter of the bend.

Figure 4

Figure 5

BENDING TUBE WITH A PLUG MANDREL

Balanced Pressures
The purpose of a plug mandrel is to prevent the tube from flattening and to bend without wrinkles
or kinks. The mandrel is held in a fixed position while the tube is pulled over it. The tube stretching
process is localized on the outer radius of the bend and the material is work-hardened to retain its shape
and not flatten. The material stretching is done on the forward tip of the mandrel (Figure 5). This force,
acting on the mandrel tip, supports the inner radius of the bend, holding it firmly into the bend die groove.

A plug mandrel can be used to produce relatively good quality bends for tubing 10mm diameter and
smaller. Exceptions to this are thin wall tubing or a centreline radius that is less than 2 x tube O.D.. There
also are certain limitations for tubes larger than 10mm diameter.

Unbalanced Pressures
The pressure die should be adjusted for a light pressure against the tube. The purpose of the pressure
die is to keep the tube against the bend die through the duration of bending. The pressure die also
keeps the mandrel from bending and maintains a straight tube between tangent points of bends (the
portion of tubing left on the mandrel after bending). The location of the mandrel affects the amount of
springback. The mandrel in a forward position (toward tangent) will stretch the material on the outside of
the bend more than is necessary. This increases the length of material on the outside beyond that which
is required to make a bend. When the bent tube is removed from the bend die, it will conform to the die
and there will be little or no springback. Figure 6 is an overstated example. The outside of the bend
actually is in compression with forces acting at points A and B. Counteracting forces occur at C and D.
Forces A and B tend to close the bend while forces C and D act to open the bend.

Figure 6
The mandrel in a position away from tangent will not stretch the material on the outside of the bend enough;
consequently, there is not enough material to reach form A to B, putting a tension in the material. The forces at A and
B are now the reverse of those shown in Figure 6, tending to open up the bend. Thus, mandrel location can cause
excessive springback, which reduces the angel of bend and also may increase the radius. The mandrel should be
brought forward (toward tangent) when the radius is increased. There is no given formula for correct mandrel
setting. One thing is clear; when the angle of springback is more than 3 degrees, the mandrel is too retarded and the
tubes radius of bend will be larger than the bending die.
When the tube breaks repeatedly, it may indicate that the material is too hard. Hard material does not have the
ability to stretch sufficiently. Working with recently fully annealed material will rule out this likelihood. When
the mandrel is set too far forward or the tube slips in the clamp die, breakage may occur also. The problem of
slippage will be discussed later.

Figure 7

Mandrel Too Far Back

Advancing the mandrel slightly forward, the wrinkles may stop forming in front and begin to form in back of tangent.
The mandrel at this point is still not far enough forward to generate the necessary pressure on the inside of
the bend and compress the material. The bend may start out smooth, but as it progresses past approximately 20
degrees, the material pushes back, forming a ripple or wave at point A (Figure 8). This ripple is forming and being
flattened continually between the mandrel and the bend die. The ripple, however, does not entirely disappear.
When the bent tube is removed from the bend die, there is a large buckle at point A. It is necessary to continue to
advance the mandrel until the material cant squeeze back between the bend die and mandrel. Figure 9
shows what occurs when the mandrel is not full advanced.

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mandrel Too Far Forward

When the mandrel is too far forward (Figure 10) bumps appear on the outside of the bend at the terminal
tangent and a step on the inside of the bend at the starting tangent. These are shown on the same tube.
They will not always appear at the same time, depending upon shape of the mandrel and bend radius.
The bump, obviously, is caused by the mandrel. The end of the mandrel prying the tube away from the
bend die forms the step.
Plug mandrels are inexpensive, easy to maintain and cause little drag. Ball-type mandrels, however,
should be employed for small radius bends, thin wall tubes or where high quality is desired. The
clamp die should have a minimum length of three times the tube diameter when using a plug mandrel.

Figure 10

Bending With Ball Mandrel And Wiper Die

When the radius of the bend is smaller and/or the wall is thinner, it becomes necessary to use a ball
mandrel and wiper die. The wiper die is used to prevent wrinkles. The ball mandrel performs like a plug
mandrel. The balls are used to keep the tube from collapsing after it leaves the mandrel shank.
Bending issues are enlarged when making tight bends or with thin wall tubing. It becomes more difficult to
retain the material during compression. The pressure is so intense the material is squeezed back past
tangent and buckles. This area must be supported so that the material will compress rather than
buckle; this is the prime purpose of the wiper die. Note, the wiper die cannot flatten wrinkles after
they are formed; it can only prevent them.

Bending Thin Wall Tubing

Requirements for the bending of thin wall tubing with tight radius bends of centreline radius equalling the
tube outside diameter (1 x D) have become more common in recent years. To increase the problem,
new alloys have been developed that are extremely difficult to bend. The proper bending machine,
good tooling, and a trained operator can make all the difference.
To facilitate this type of tube bending, the material to be bent should receive special consideration. To
help maintain the consistency of the tubing dimensions and characteristics, the entire material
required for a given job should be acquired from one supplier, preferably even from the same lot
or heat number.
Premium-priced close-tolerance tubing should be considered. It often saves many
more times its added cost. It may be necessary on occasion to size certain tubing before bending.
There are many tube-bending machines but only a few are capable of thin wall, 1 x D bending. Even
those machines best suited for this special bending must be in excellent condition and of a size
large enough to assure rigidity. The machine must be capable of retracting and advancing the
mandrel with the clamp and pressure dies closed. One feature of this system is that it provides
identical pressure on the tube regardless of wall variation.
A pressure die boost counteracts the drag of the pressure die, mandrel and wiper die.
the tube into the bending area, preventing excessive wall thin out.

It pushes

Without a pressure die boost, the thinning that normally can be expected is about three-quarters of the
elongation of the outer wall. Therefore, a two-inch tube bent to a three-inch centreline radius will thin by about
25% as seen in the cross section of Figure 11. To reduce the thinning it is necessary to move the neutral axis to
the outside of the bend. If the neutral axis coincides with the outer wall there will be no thinning whatsoever, but
heavy thickening of the inside. One method of achieving this is to put the tube into compression before bending
commences; this will modify the stress distribution in the section as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 11

Figure 12

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The pressure die boost should be capable of pushing the pressure die and tube separately or
simultaneously. A few tube-bending machines have similar devices, but they generally are designed to
assist the machine in bending thick wall tubing. They do not have the required precise control or
hydraulic independence to assist appreciably in thin wall tube bending.
A clamp plug should be used when the wall is so thin that the clamp is distorting it die or collapsing
under the clamp die pressure. It also helps eliminate slippage with less clamping pressure. A clamp
plug should be a press fit. It is located in the clamping area prior to closing the clamp die and removed
before the pressure die is opened.
The quality and amount of lubricant used is extremely important. One lubricant will not work
equally well on all materials. One lubricant for steel and another for aluminium is recommended.
Considerable research and development was required to make special acceptable lubricants available.
A generous amount of lubricant can be applied to the mandrel and inside the tube. The lubricant must
cover the entire inside of the tube.
The three principal requirements in tube bending are simply: machine, operator and tooling. All
three factors must be especially good to work with thin wall tubing on tight radii. Too many facilities still
depend on the operators genius to compensate for near useless tooling.
Poor tooling results in
longer set-up time, scrapping of expensive tubing, poorly bent tubes and fail to produce an
acceptable bend. Highly competitive custom tube bending companies realise cheap and inferior tooling
is the most expensive they can buy.
Interlock tooling represents the ultimate in tube bending tooling.
Complete interlock tooling, although developed and successful for numerical control benders, has proven
advantageous for conventional machines. Each tool of the matching set is laterally locked in alignment.
The clamp die is keyed and locked to the bend die, the wiper die located and locked to the pressure die,
and the pressure die in turn is locked in alignment to the bend die.
Field reports have confirmed several advantages of interlock tooling. The clamp die, with all the pressure
available to it, will not crush or even mark the tube, thereby providing vastly improved gripping properties.
Bend die and pressure die marks on the top and bottom of the tube is completely eliminated. In 23
instances tested .set ups. Averaged one-third the time allotted for conventional tooling. A 32% reduction
of scrap was recorded over previous runs using conventional tooling.
The five pieces of tooling (bend die, pressure die, and wiper die, mandrel and clamp die) must all be
close-tolerance excellent tooling. The bend die should have a maximum run out at the bottom of the bend
groove of not more than .001 total indicated run out. To help prevent tooling marks on the top and bottom
of the tube, the bend groove should be deeper than half the tube diameter. The bend groove should be
dead round and the diameter should measure 10% times wall thickness over tube diameter. The
clamping area, unless cleated or with other provision such as flaring, beading, etc., should be three to six
times tube diameter with a sandblasted or rough finish.
The diameter of a clamp area should not be
undersize more than 10% of wall thickness. Grip or pinch clearance should be held to a minimum. To
permit the bend die to be used on right and left hand machines, the counter bore and keyway often are
machined on both sides of the die. Centreline height must be maintained for both sides.
Bend dies are available in four basic styles A, B, C and D. (Figure 14). Each style is designed for
different bending requirements. Type A for 1 x D radius and 180 degree of bend, Type B for 1 x D radius
and 90 degree of bend. Type C for 1-1/2 x D radius and 180 degrees of bend. Type D for 2 x D radius and
up and 180 degree of bend.

11

Figure 14

12

The pressure die should have a groove diameter slightly larger than the O.D. of the tube to be bent. It
should not vary in thickness from one end to the other by more than .0005. Variations in thickness will
cause a pinching or relieving effect as it feeds forward. With good tooling, properly fitted, it should only be
necessary for a very light pressure to be applied. A solid bar to set the pressure die may be helpful.
Loosen the holder until the adjustment screw turns freely, screw the pressure die holder in to meet the
setup bar and retaining pressure is all that should be required. Excessive pressure on the pressure die
increases thin out, marks the tube, and affects springback.
It is most important to have an accurate wiper die. The groove, which the tube slides through, must be
slightly larger than the O.D. of the tube. 10% of wall thickness as being minimum. The groove must be of
high polish lubricated with thin oil. Too much oil or too heavy oil in this area will cause wrinkles. Wiper die
fit to bend die groove must be 85% contact from 12:00 oclock to 6:00 oclock and for at least 15-20
degrees back from tangency. When the bend die does not support the wiper die at this point, it will spring
away from the mandrel and cause the tube to wrinkle (Figure 15).
A solid bar the exact diameter of the tubing to be bent would facilitate a proper wiper die fit. While the
clamp die holds the setup bar, the wiper die is soft mallet-tapped to the forward most position and secured
to the wiper die holder. To minimise drag, the flat end of the wiper can be brought back from the pressure
die. To check the amount of this rake or taper, straight edge is placed in the core of the clamp groove,
extending to the rear of the wiper. The amount of rake is then readily visible. The featheredge must be as
close to tangent as possible. Wiper dies made with Ampco bronze material also helps minimise drag and
prevent galling (Figure 17). Wiper dies made of 4130 have proven very successful and wear considerably
less than mild steel or Ampco Bronze. A minimum amount of high quality drawing lubricant is all that should be
used. Excessive oil causes wrinkles.
Figure 15

Figure 16

A universal flexing ball mandrel must be employed having a clearance no greater than 10% of the wall
thickness of the tube to be bent. (Figure 16) It will be necessary to have enough balls on the
mandrel to support the tube around the entire bend. It is important that the spacing between balls
(or pitch) be reduced.
The close pitch universal flexing mandrel is recommended over the
standard.
The ball spacing (pitch) is closer and the first ball off the mandrel shank gives very close
support both to the outside as well as the inside of the bend. When possible mandrel balls should be
undersized sufficiently to eliminate the possibility of clamping interference.
Ampco bronze frequently is preferred for stainless applications in order to reduce friction.
Hardened steel with chrome is recommended on non-ferrous materials such as aluminium, copper,
etc. Mandrel setting will be determined by the used and radius of bend. A template of the desired bend

13

radius is helpful in determining the initial universal flexing mandrel location (Figure 17). To achieve full
benefit from the mandrel it is necessary to project the mandrel shank past tangent.

Figure 17

14

TROUBLESHOOTING
Tube Breakage
Tube breakage may be caused by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Material lacking proper ductility and elongation

Tube slipping in clamp die
Pressure die too tight causing excess drag
Material wrinkling and becoming locked between mandrel balls
Clamp die pressing on mandrel balls
Improper or insufficient lubrication
Mandrel too far forward

Tube Wrinkling
Tube wrinkling may be caused by:
1. Tube slipping in clamp die
2. Mandrel not far enough forward
3. Wiper die not seated properly in bend die
4. Wiper die worn or of improper fit
5. Too much clearance between mandrel and tube
6. Not enough pressure on pressure die
7. Improper or excessive amount of lubrication
8. If mandrel & wiper die are in proper locations, check inboard pressure on pressure die. You may need to apply
more pressure on pressure die to hold tube into die. Adjust in slowly until you have no wrinkles. Lastly, check
mandrel fit.

Note: Materials offering less resistance to flow will have fewer tendencies to wrinkle. For instance, 3/8.
OD x .020 wall Type 304 can be bent on as small as 2 x diameter radius without a wiper die. On the other
hand, AM 350 CRES stainless will require a wiper die on any radius up to 3 x diameter. The wiper die
must fit the bend die and the tip as close to tangent as possible. The biggest problem in bending tubing
on tight radii is making the material compress without buckling. A worn or improperly fitted wiper is
usually where the trouble occurs.

Scratches/Marking on Tube Centerline

1. Check alignment of all dies.
2. Ensure all tools are free of dirt and scale. If not, clean tools.
3. Check tube is clean and free of oil and grease.
4. Use interlock style tooling.
5. Check forces on clamp and pressure dies.
6. If deep scratches in bend and in wiper die areas try to check wiper angle
and increase a little. Also, back end of wiper should not touch the tube; it
must have a gap. Lastly, make sure tube is getting plenty of lube along with
lubrication on wiper die in bend area.

Tube Collapses Either With or Without Wrinkling Through Bend

1. Check for clamp slip.
2. Check for sufficient push-assist.
3. Check mandrel positioning in relation to tangent.
4. Check that number of mandrel balls is sufficient for application.
5. Check for drag.

15

Hump at the End of a Bend and Mandrel Ball Humps

1. Check mandrel positioning. Try to move mandrel back from tangent until hump goes away.
2. Check free movement of pressure die.
3. Check force on pressure die, pressure die assist.
4. Check mandrel ball sizing.
5. Ensure material is suitable for application.

Tool Marks/Scratches

1. Check for alignment of clamp.

2. Check location and pressure of all dies.
3. Check clamp is clean and free of oil and grease.
4. If clamp force is excessive, check for proper surface texture on bend die insert.
5. Increase rake of wiper die.
6. Check condition of wiper die. If worn, pitted or scored, re-cut or replace.
7. Ensure sufficient lubrication. 8. With wrinkles in bend area only and scratches in bend area make sure clamp die is
not slipping and recheck pressure die pressure. Clamp die may need serrations to hold tube or it may also be worn
out.

Excessive Springback
1. Check that pressure die is not holding the tube back during bending.
2. Check ductile strength of tube and program over bend to compensate.
Possible reasons for link failure
1. Insufficient tool-to-tool clearance
2. Insufficient tool to part clearance
3. Geometry of bend
4. Mandrel positioning
5. Sub-standard tooling

Final Tips
1. Use complete sets of tooling, purchased together. Mixing and matching tools may not match perfectly, causing
inconsistent and often poor quality bends.
2. Lubrication is a key factor in making good bends. Type of lubrication is dependent upon the material of the
tube to be bent. A generous amount should be applied to the mandrel and interior of the tube.

16

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Ampco-18. A trade name for the softer grade of aluminium-bronze in general use. This is the preferred grade for
aluminium-bronze wiper tooling because it lacks the brittleness of harder grades that cause the feathered edge to
break and chip instead of wear out.
Ampco-21. A trade name for the harder grade of aluminium-bronze in general use. This is the preferred grade for
aluminium-bronze mandrel tooling because it is harder and therefore wears longer than Ampco-18.
Assist, assist pressure. A pressure function common to modern rotary-draw tube-bending machines in which a
pressure or speed setting drives the pressure (or follower) die forward. The importance of assist pressure is that it
relieves the drag caused by the tooling on the tubing at the point of bend, which helps to reduce wall thinning and
deformation.
Back tangent. The straight section of the tube behind the line of tangency.
Ball. A part of the mandrel assembly that supports the arc of the bend from flattening along the outside radius
after the tube has passed through the point of bend.
Ball sub-assembly. The flexing portion of the mandrel assembly that consists of a series of balls linked together.
Barrel. That part of a link that is nested inside of the bore of a ball when assembled.
B-axis. On CNC rotary-draw bending machine this is the rotary motion about the Y-axis, which is used to set (or
orient) the tubing material in the plane of bend.
Bend data. A programming term for CNC tube-bending machines referring to the basic elements of motion that
must be programmed into the machines controller to bend a tube.
Bend die . The primary tool on a rotary-draw tube-bending machine; the form against which the tube is clamped
and then drawn around to produce a bend; less commonly known as the bend form or the radius die. The essential
specifications of a bend die are the outside diameter and the bend radius of the tube to be bent.
Bend radius. The radius of the arc of the bend. This is a general term that does not precisely specify the radius,
therefore it can mean inside radius, centreline radius, or any other arbitrary reference point. The preferred
reference point is the centreline radius for round tubing and the inside radius for square and rectangular tubing.
Bend specifications. The basic elements of machine, material, and bend that define a tube bend application;
typically: make and model of the machine; shape, outside dimensions, wall thickness, and material of the
tubing; radius and depth of the bend. Other elements may also be significant, such as a large weld seam or an
extremely short tangent between bends. For most circumstances, three basic specifications are sufficient to define
the applications: Tube outside diameter (OD) . Usually specified in inches or millimetres. Note that certain
nominal "pipe diameters vary considerably from their true diameters; therefore, the pipe system (e.g., IPS, EMT,
K-type) must also be specified. Wall thickness (WT). Specified in inches, millimetres, or wire gauge unless the
material belongs in one of the pipe systems. In that case, the schedule number or other wall thickness designator
of the system should be specified. If the wall thickness varies by 5% or more, it is advisable to specify the thickest
wall dimension. Centreline radius (CLR) . Specified in inches, millimetres, or "D" of bend. "D" is the ratio of the
centreline radius to the nominal, not the true, outside diameter of the material: "D" = CLR / nominal OD.
Boost, boost pressure. A pressure function found on some tube-bending machines, which is similar to the common
assist-pressure function but is distinguished from it by applying pressure to both sides of the tube behind the line of
tangency. Assist pressure is applied only to the outside half of the tube at the line of tangency. Boost pressure
pushes the tubing material through the point of bend as it is drawn forward around the bend die. This increased
flow is necessary when wall thinning must be kept to an extreme minimum.
Carbide impregnation. A process of electrically embedding carbon onto a steel surface in order to increase its
roughness. Sometimes used on the cavities of clamp dies and clamp inserts to improve their grip on the tube
without leaving the marks serrations or knurling do. "Surfalloy" and "Rocklinizing" are trade names for this process.
Carbon steel. A common tubing material.
Casehardening . A heat treatment process which cases a steel component with a very hard skin, usually with
carbon. Carburizing, nitriding, and flame hardening are good examples of casehardening. Casehardening is a
good process for hardening bend dies, clamp dies, and pressure dies because it combines a hard wear surface with
toughness . I.e., resistance to chipping and breakage.
Cavity. The part of the bend die, clamp die, pressure die and wiper that contains the tubing material during the
bending process. Generally the cavity is machined to the true shape and size of the tubing material with a small
allowance to ensure that the tube moves smoothly through the cavity.
C-axis. The rotary motion about the Z-axis of a rotary-draw tube-bending machine; the rotary axis of the bend die.
Centre link. The component that joins two balls or the first ball of multi-ball mandrel assembly to the mandrel
shank.
Centreline height. The distance between the mounting surfaces of the bend head to the plane of bend.
This value is determines the location of the cavity in a die block.
Centreline radius. The most common specification for the arc of a tube bend. Physically, it is the location of the
crown of bend; geometrically, it is the continuation of the vertical centreline of the tube into the arc.
Clamp die. The tool that clamps the tubing material against the bend die as it rotates to form the bend. There are
two specifications of primary importance in a clamp die: Length and cavity texture, which are related to each
other. The shorter the clamp, the rougher the cavity surface must be to maintain the force of the grip on the tube.

17

Serrations, knurling, and carbide impregnation roughens the cavity surface; therefore improve the clamp dies grip
upon the tube.
Clamp insert. The detachable grip or clamp section of the bend dies. The same design considerations for the clamp
die apply to the clamp insert.
Close pitch. Type of ball string that uses one size smaller link size (shorter pitch) in order to have more balls in the
same amount of space. When the tubing material requires more than normal support after the point of bend
because it is thin-wall, soft, or some combination of factors, a close-pitch mandrel assembly is usually the solution.
CLR. Abbreviation for centreline radius.
CNC V.S. NC. CNC: Computer Numeric Control of the tube in all axis of movement. (X, Y, Z,). NC: Numeric control
of only the degree of bend.
Cold drawing. The normal method of rotary-draw tube-bending; bending without heating the tubing material.
Cold rolled steel tube . A common tubing material.
Compound clamp . 1. A clamp die or clamp insert with a cavity shaped to grip on a bend rather than a tangent.
This type of clamp is used when a mid-tangent (i.e., a tangent between bends) is too short for a conventional
straight-cavity clamp.
Compression bending. 1. As commonly used today: Bending with heart-shaped tooling. 2. An older method of
bending in which the tube is clamped against a stationary bend die and the pressure die sweeps the tube around
the bend die to form the bend. This differs importantly from rotary-draw bending in that the point of bend is the
point of contact between the pressure die and bend die. Therefore the point of bend moves through space, which
makes the use of a mandrel impossible.
Crush bending. A non-mandrel method of bending in which the compression of the intrados is controlled by
stretching it over a "crush knob" seated in the cavity of the bend die. This eliminates the wrinkling or buckling that
might occur if the tube were bend without a mandrel. Commonly used on non-round tube bends.

"D" of Bend: CLR / OD = "D" of bend. For example, the centreline radius of a 3-"D" bend of a 2" IPS pipe (which is
2.375" true diameter) is 6 inches instead of 7.125 inches.
DBB: Distance Between Bends is the straight section of the tube from tangent to tangent
Degree of bend. The depth of bend; the sweep of the arc. The minimum degree of bend is about five degrees; the
maximum degree of bend in rotary-draw bending is 180 degrees.
Direct Acting Pressure Die - Clamping method using a hydraulic cylinder without the use of any toggle linkage.
DOB. Abbreviation for degree of bend.
Double-wall tubing. Also called laminated tubing, this type of tubing consists of two strips of coiled steel, one tube
inside another. Because the material cannot flow from one wall to the other as it becomes plastic at the point of
bend, the thickness of the interior wall should determine the number of balls, nose and ball diameters, and the
nose placement of the mandrel assembly. The inside wall should be treated as a thin-walled tube.
Easy way . (or E-Plane) A term of art in tube-bending for the orientation of a non-round tube shape
relative to the plane of bend; in an "easy way" bend the major axis of the tube shape is perpendicular to the plane
of bend. Occasionally called an "E-way" bend.

End link . The component that joins the end ball to the rest of the mandrel assembly. The end link is distinguished
from the centre link by having a solid base instead of a socket.
Hanger bracket. A small plate or tab fastened to pressure die (and for some machine models, the clamp die) in
order to fixture the die to the machine by means of hanging it from the follower bar (or clamp slide block).
Hard chrome. A plating commonly used on steel bending tools to extend tool life and prevent galling.
Hard way. (or H-way) The orientation of a non-round tube shape relative to the plane of bend; in a "hard way"
bend the major axis of the tube shape lies in the plane of bend.

H-type link. The most common style of mandrel linkage, which reduces pitch and permits universal flexure
of the mandrel balls. H-type links come in two major varieties, poppet and split.
ID. Abbreviation for inside diameter.

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Insert link . The link that attaches the ball sub-assembly to the mandrel shank. Functionally the insert link is the
same as a "mandrel link" or "shank link" but applies specifically to inserted mandrel assemblies.
Inserted bend die . The most common type of bend die consisting of a radius block and a detachable clamp insert
section.
Inserted mandrel assembly . A mandrel assembly in which the shank consists of a steel body and a replaceable
nose insert.
Inserted wiper die . A wiper die in which consists of a steel wiper holder and a replaceable tip insert.
Inside diameter . The outside diameter of a tube or pipe less twice the wall thickness.
Inside radius . A specification for the arc of bend with non-round tubing. (The centreline radius [CLR] is used to
specify the bend of a round tube.)
Interlock (bend die) . A common feature of bend dies; a pair of tabs extending circumferentially from the top and
bottom surface of the die which interlock with mating shoulders on the clamp and pressure dies. The purpose of
interlock is to help hold the clamp and pressure dies in the plane of bend.
Interlock (wiper) . A common feature of inserted wiper tooling; the tip insert is keyed to the wiper holder. The
purpose of the interlock is to help the insert resist being dragged while under direct pressure.
IPS. A pipe specification system that associates certain nominal pipe diameters with standardized wall thickness
called "schedules". The same schedule number will have a different fixed decimal inch value for each nominal
diameter. For example the wall thickness for 1 Schedule 40 pipe is .133", but for 2" Schedule 40 pipe is .154". It
is also important to note that the nominal diameter in this system vary considerable from the true
diameter. For example, 1" pipe has a true diameter of 1.315" and 2" pipe has a true diameter of 2.375".
Furthermore, the bend radiuses of pipes in the IPS system are often expressed in terms of "D" of bend. For
example, the centreline radius of a 2 "D" bend of a 1" pipe is 2.0" inches, not 2.63" inches.
ISR . Abbreviation of inside radius
Key . 1. The horizontal raised steel block on the bend head of a rotary-draw bending machine which
mates with the keyway on the bottom side of the bend die to drive the die in the direction of the bend heads
rotation.
Keyway . The mating channel in a bend die or pressure die for the drive key.
Knurling . A pattern of small diamond-shaped points cut into the surface of a clamp die or a clamp insert to
increase its grip; the knurled points bite into the tubing material, thereby improving the clamps hold upon the
tube. Functionally this is the same as serrations and carbide impregnation, however not as preferable. The points
wear quickly in comparison cutting the surface of the tube.
Link . A joint-like component of a mandrel assembly, which attaches balls to each other and to the nose of the
mandrel shank. The H-style link remains the predominant style today with the only major improvement being
the development of the single-piece poppet variety.
Mandrel . Short for mandrel assembly, this tool is a part of the rotary-draw tube-bending process to maintain the
shape of tube as it sets into the arc of the bend. If the tube wall is thick enough relative to the overall size of the
tube or if the specifications are not too severe (e.g., shallow depth of bend or a large "D" bend radius), then a
mandrel may not be necessary. The mandrel is the tooling component that provides support to the inside of
the tube. Its primary function is to prevent the tube from buckling and necking. Many different variations of
mandrels exist. The required style and material depends on the outside diameter (OD) and wall thickness
(WT) of the tube being bent. The simplest design style is the plug mandrel and the most complex design style is
the ball mandrel. The ball mandrel is designed to internally support the tube beyond tangent and depending on
the number of ball segments, throughout the entire bend.
Mandrel assembly . Consists of (1) a mandrel body (2) a mandrel nose insert (3) a mandrel link or insert link (4)
mandrel screw (5) if needed, a ball subassembly.
Mandrel body . The section of the mandrel assembly that connects the mandrel subassembly to the mandrel rod
of a tube-bending machine. In an inserted mandrel assembly, the mandrel body does not include a nose, which is a
separate detachable component held to the body by an insert link and a mandrel screw. Therefore, the mandrel
body in this case has a relatively long service life and needs to be replaced only after extreme wear. The mandrel
body of a non-inserted mandrel assembly has an integrated nose that controls the flow of material at the point of
bend.
Thus, such a mandrel body wears out when the nose does and has a relatively short service life
compared to that of an inserted assembly. A mandrel body is not a plug. A plug is a complete fully functioning
mandrel assembly, whereas a mandrel body is a component of a mandrel assembly. In the case of a non-inserted
plug, the mandrel body is the only component of the assembly.
Mandrel nose insert - The replaceable nose section of an inserted mandrel body. It is designed as a relatively
inexpensive component of a mandrel assembly to be detached from the mandrel body and disposed when it is worn
out. Another feature is that a mandrel nose insert of one material can be swapped with one of another
material so that the same mandrel body can be used for different tubing materials.
Mandrel sub-assembly - A ball subassembly plus a mandrel nose insert. A one-ball mandrel subassembly includes
the following components: (1) mandrel nose insert, (2) insert link, (3) mandrel ball, and (4) end link. Multiple-ball
mandrel subassemblies include a mandrel and a centre link for each additional ball of the assembly.
Mandrel thread - All mandrel bodies have internal threads at the opposite end of the nose to attach the mandrel
assembly to the mandrel rod. The mandrel thread specification typically varies with tube diameter. Although there
is no official standard, some common relationships have developed over time for non-metric tube bending
machines. Some tube diameters and their typical corresponding mandrel thread specification are: For

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approximately 1-inch-diameter tube: 1/2-13 UNC thread; from about 1.25- to 1.375-in.-dia. Tube: 5/8-11 UNC
thread; 1.5- to 3-in.- dia. Tube: 1-8 UNC thread.
Multi-Stack: Refers to a machines ability to have more than one bend die stacked on it.
No-lip- A common type of cavity design for tube bending dies that is true to the size and shape of the tube to be
bend (with minor allowances) and a bend die lip extending over the centreline of the tube.
Non-mandrel bending- A method of rotary drawtube bending that does not require a mandrel assembly. Instead, it
uses bending dies with heart shaped cavities. Non-mandrel bending is not a substitute method for applications that
use conventional dies but do not require mandrels. Such applications, which include heavy-wall tube or largeradius bends, do not need mandrels in the first place. Non-mandrel bending compromises bend quality for
the benefit of eliminating mandrel and wiper tooling costs. Quality suffers most in terms of the critical attributes
of bend reduction and wrinkling, which account for the significant decline in the use of non-mandrel bending over
the past several years.
OD- Abbreviation for outside diameter.
Orientation- The bend specification for whether a non-round tube is bent the easy way or hard way; more
generally, the position of a tubes cross section relative to the plane of bend. This specification is commonly
relevant for rectangular and oval tubing because it is necessary to identify whether the major (long) axis of the
tubes shape is perpendicular to the plane of bend (the easy way) or lies in it (the hard way).
OSR- Abbreviation for outside radius.
Outside diameter- Tube outside diameter; the standard way to specify the size of a tube or pipe as
measured at its outside surface; the bore diameter plus twice the wall thickness of a tube.
Plane of Bend (POB) - In the rotary draw process; the machines X and Y-axes determine the plane of bend.
Because the plane of bend is fixed in space at the bend dies centreline height in the rotary draw process, the
plane of bend is not important in single-bend applications after all of the tools are properly fixtured relative to it.
In multiple-bend applications, the tube acquires an orientation in terms of plane of bend upon completion of the
first bend. All subsequent bends must be made relative to that orientation. This means rotating the tubing material
a certain number of degrees relative to the plane of the previous bend. On CNC bending machines, the collet grips
the tubing material and rotates it as needed. On manual machines, stops must be set at the correct orientation
relative to the plane of the next bend for the bent section of the tube to rest against.
Point of Bend - The point of bend refers to a part of the tube, whereas the line of tangency defines a fixed plane
in space through which the tube passes as it is bent. It is important to understand the point of bend as a region
rather than a geometric element, because good bend quality requires fixturing the mandrel and the wiper
die properly to control the flow of material in that point of bend region.
Poppet link- One of two varieties of H- type links in which the body of the link is solid instead of split into pieces.
This means that poppet links require a press for assembly; unlike split links that usually can be assembled by hand.
The single-piece poppet design makes them more durable than the split variety and less expensive.
Post -Part of the bend die mounting system of a rotary draw machine. The post is a large, threaded stud that is
screwed into the centre of the bend head, around which the die is mounted and to which the bend die is secured
by a large nut.
Post Hole-The large clearance hole drilled through the centre of a bend die to accommodate the mounting post.
Press Bending - Press bending is less expensive and faster than rotary draw bending. Its primary disadvantage is
reduced bend quality. Because the lines of tangency in press bending move through space, as opposed to the single
line of tangency in rotary draw bending which is fixed in space, it is not possible to fixture mandrel tooling inside
the tube or wiper tooling outside of it to control the flow of material. Press bending is suitable only applications
with relatively heavy tube walls and large centreline radiuses.
Pressure Die - The tool that holds the tube against the bend die under constant pressure at tangent and follows the
tube through the bend. The follower type of pressure travels forward during the bending process and almost all
modern rotary draw bending machines are equipped with this type of pressure. On most bending machines, two
settings control the operation of the pressure die: direct pressure and assist pressure. To reduce drag on the point
of bend, direct pressure must be kept to the minimum necessary to hold the tube without it separating from the
bend die cavity.
Retaining Ring- A component of an H-type center or end link that holds the mandrel ball in place over the barrel of
the link. Also called a snap ring.
Roll Bending - A method of bending in which material is fed through a triangular arrangement of rollers. The
positioning determines the radius of the bend. It is a quick and effective method of forming extremely
thick walls and large radiuses that exceed the capacity of rotary draw benders.
Rotary Draw Bending (or Radial) - A principal method of tube bending. In this process, drawing the material
around a rotating bend form or die forms the bend. Specifically, the forward tangent of the tube is clamped to the
bend die and is drawn around the die as it rotates while the back tangent is held in place against the rotating
bend die by a pressure die. Thus, the mandrel and wiper tooling can be fixtured at the point of bend to control
the flow of material fully.
Schedule-A wall thickness designator used in certain pipe specification systems, such as IPS, in which a schedule
number for a given nominal pipe diameter designates a wall thickness in decimal inches. A single schedule number
designates different wall thickness for different nominal pipe diameters. Fore example, 1.5- in. Schedule 40 IPS
pipe has a wall thickness of 0.145 in., while 2.5-in. Schedule 40 IPS pipe has a wall thickness of 0.203 in. In the IPS
system, Schedule 40 sometimes is referred to as standard pipe and Schedule 80 as XS, or extra-strong.

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Seam -The joint along the axis of tube at which the two edges of the original coiled stack are welded
together to create the tube. Usually the seam is not a matter of concern in tube bending, unless it has a weld bead
that protrudes excessively into the ID of the tube and causes interference with the mandrel. Besides replacing the
tubing material, an excessive seam can be handled in two ways; (1) Machine a groove into the mandrel that
is sufficiently deep and wide to clear the seam (2) reduce the diameter of the mandrel to minimise interference
with the seam. Once the mandrels design is compromised to accommodate a weld seam, bend quality is
reduced.
Serpentine Bend - A long tubular part, especially as a component of a heat exchanger, that is
characterised by a pattern of 180- degree bends alternating in two planes of bend that are 180 degrees apart in
orientation. While the bends of a serpentine application typically are not intrinsically difficult to form, the D of
bend usually is generous they often must be formed without a mandrel, because the great length of the tube
needed for the finished part exceeds the length of the bed of the bending machine. Setting the wiper at zero
rake and increasing the assist pressure can compensate for the absence of a mandrel if the bend specifications
are not other wise extreme.
Serration - The threading of clamp die and clamp insert cavities to improve the grip of these tools on the tube. The
drawback of serrations is that they can mark, and even cut into, the OD of the tube. Fine serrations
mark the tube less, but provide lesser grip than coarser pitched serrations. Serrations are an effective solution
for applications demanding clamps as short as 1x OD.
Shank- The body of a mandrel assembly. In the case of an inserted mandrel assembly, the shank is the subassembly
of the mandrel body and the mandrel nose insert.
Shank link- Another term for mandrel link and, less commonly, for insert link.
Socket-The spherical bore of H-type centre links and mandrel links into which the head of another link is inserted
to chain mandrel balls together in a mandrel assembly.
Springback- A bent tubes response to having the stress removed after the bending process. The increase in degree
of bend can be offset by over bending the tube that is, exceeding the specified degree of bend by 3 to 8 percent so
that the tube will open up to the desired degree of bend after the stress is released. Material rigidity, D of bend,
and wall factor are the key factors in springback. However, other factors such as machine setup also can
influence springback. No comprehensive guide can describe how all of the other factors, taken as a whole,
influence springback. Therefore, with each new application, trial and error remains the quickest way to
determine the amount of springback.
Stackable Tooling- Die sets that can be stacked for use on head or collet- shifting rotary draw bending machines.
Tangent - The beginning and ending of an arc or bend
Ultra Close Pitch - Type of ball string that uses two sizes smaller link size (shorter pitch) in order to have more
balls in the same amount of space.
Wiper die (or Shoes) - The primary function of the wiper die is to prevent the tube from wrinkling during bending.
A wiper die is required when the tubes resistance to compression is high.

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